"Freedom to the people means the army being recalled back to barracks and Bainimarama giving leadership over to a civilian government," Lieutenant Colonel Mara said.

"That is when you will have freedom in Fiji.

"It doesn't mean that they've removed the controls that they have in place. There are still people in place, there are still police, military people in place monitoring things.

"I was just talking to people back home today, this morning, and they said, 'No, it doesn't mean anything at all'.

"People are still being taken in, still being charged for sedition, for saying things against government.

"What he's trying to do, it's part of a plan that was had before, is to put all the leaders of all the political parties, charge them with trumped up charges and [by the] time the election comes it's only him left there to run for government.

"There's no-one else because they've charged all the leaders of all the political parties of Fiji."

Seventy-four-year-old former MP and vocal critic of the regime Mere Samisoni is among four people who, according to Fiji's ministry of information, will appear at the Suva Magistrates Court this morning charged with conspiring to use violence to overthrow the government.

The former commander of Fiji's land forces, Jone Baledrokadroka, was Commodore Bainimarama's second-in-command, until he was accused of trying to stage a mutiny before defecting to Australia.

Mr Baledrokadroka holds concerns over the fate of Mr Samisoni.

"I think a lot of people are sceptical as to what are the motives behind Mere's being detained and charged now," he said.